Wanheda's journey
by Don't forget to breath
Summary: They had just finished making love and while basking contentedly in the afterglow Clarke felt like she could happily spend an eternity trying to decipher the puzzle that Lexa was. Who knew the eternity lasted so little? or When Titus lifted Clarke's gun and accidentally shot Lexa, the blonde realized her fate was sealed... but was it really the end or just the beginning?
1. Jus drein jus daun

Hi! This is my first fic and English is not my first language so please be gentle in your reviews.

To be honest, time-travel fics have become somewhat of a guilty pleasure and I just couldn't resist.

It's riddled with grammatical errors and spelling problems. I know it, you'll see it. No beta so all mistakes are mine.

My house belongs to the bank, my work belongs to my boss and I barely have money after paying my bills. And the 100 belongs to JRoth and Kass Morgan... Damn...

Words in italic represent trigedasleng... to avoid confusion I will only use easily identifiable words or sentences from the show.

* * *

The sun was setting but instead of the breathtaking hues of orange, purple, red and yellow that she had grown to love in her wondrous, albeit short time on earth, black clouds started to rapidly fill the previously clear sky.

If she had been a superstitious person it may have felt like a warning, an omen even, alas she wasn't, so instead, she just rejoiced and marveled at the opportunity to feel one more time the icy rain that was sure to follow.

The earth had never ceased to amaze her, even when fighting for her life she had taken the time to admire everything that surrounded her; the trees, the lakes, the flowers, hell she had even come to appreciate the mutated animals. Everything was vibrant and full of life, it tasted like freedom and endless hope, a dazzling contrast to the gloomy, monochrome and structured life in the ark.

Another memory assaulted her already overloaded brain. A brunet with intense green eyes and a smile that put the glorious sun to shame, her Heda, her Lexa; so strong, so stern, unyielding and ruthless yet delicate, gentle and loving at the same time. A contradiction in itself, a puzzle she quite never finished solving. Lexa was everything she had never known she wanted but now could never live without.

She was so lost in her memories and pleasant dreams of her lover, their stolen moments full of all-consuming love, lust, and longingness that she didn't even feel the first's cuts to her biceps, forearms and legs, it wasn't until a gona strike her in the chest that pain started to register on her brain.

Death by a thousand cuts; the bloodiest and most painful way to die, incisions shallow and precise enough to draw blood and extend the torture for hours, bringing agony and despair but not the relief of death. The irony of dying like this wasn't lost on her, she killed Finn to spare him pain and now she suffered his predestined fate. Karma was really a bitch.

Her eyes were wide open and her chin held up in proud defiance, she wouldn't allow them the satisfaction of breaking her, she embraced her death with such an unwavering confidence and poise than even the most seasoned warriors held their breath for a few seconds, whether in fear or admiration, she would never know. Clarke managed a small and pained smirk, she had finally gained their respect, she wasn't a weakling, a defenseless child they could bully and torment to their heart's content, only the toughest and more unyielding warriors could resist until the end.

Titus slowly but steadily approached her. No matter how much he tried, his face couldn't hide the awe and astonishment he felt. The Fleimkepa never held Clarke in high regards, he believed her weak, a distraction to Lexa's path of grandiose yet now he had to recognize he had been wrong; hot-headed and impulsive, yes, but not weak. Clarke Griffin was anything but weak.

At the sight of the bald man, bile rise in her throat, traitorous and spineless coward. How dare he show his face today?. He chided Lexa for her choices, urged her to correct what he perceived as mistakes yet he wasn't even man enough to admit his own misdeeds. In a fit of rage he tried to murder her and accidentally kill Lexa yet he accused Clarke and made her pay for his crime.

"Lexa would be proud of you" Shame, sorrow and guilt, irradiated from the man like waves, the once proud Flamekipa was reduced to a broken shell of a man. With one careless, and frankly stupid, action, he had not only snuffed the life of the woman he had vowed to protect, the closest thing he had to a daughter, but also condemn her lover to the worst of fates.

She idly considered mocking him for it but instead of acknowledging his words she just looked him in the eyes, a perverse satisfaction filled her entire being when her cold, murderous stare, made him flinch and lower his gaze.

"Have the decency to honor her and look at me murderer". Her ragged words coming in pants, punctuated by blobs of blood leaving her lips, were enough to give her a small reprieve from the torture. She effortlessly saw that her spiteful words planted the seed of doubt in her executioners, good, maybe Titus will be the next and finally pay for his felony.

Ontari was stunned and, despite herself, amazed at the woman in front of her. She had expected to rejoice with pathetic whimpers and supplications, hoped to hear screams and pitiful pleads for mercy but the skygirl endured her punishment silently and faced her death with a grace and stoicism few could brag to possess.

Her original plan had been to massacre all the skykru while the blond watch tied to the post, unable to do anything but weep for them but despite her ruthlessness she couldn't do it. Not out of kindness and certainly not compassion but out of admiration, against all odds, Clarke Griffin proved herself to be a worthy opponent. A fierce leader and even strongest warrior.

As soon as the night blood raised her sword to deliver the final blow, Clarke allowed a small and grateful smile to graze her lips, somehow through all this madness she gained Ontari's respect and that spared her the fate of watching the slaughter of the Arkadians. The skykru guards, no matter how many guns they had, were no match for an army of ruthless, bloodthirsty, Azgeda warriors.

When the double edge sword pierced her heart Clarke's eyes briefly flashed red and a deep, frightening voice rumbled from inside her.

 _"I'm Wanheda and my spirit won't rest until I find you again ai hodnes"_


	2. Meeting with an old friend

**Disclaimer:** Besides the usual disclaimer, I want to add that there is a quote from one of my favorite books of all times... bonus points for whoever spots it.

 **Jo Hamel:** To be honest while your idea could be an interesting angle, it didn't cross my mind.

 **David12leca:** Thanks for the encouragement! it really means a lot. I hope I can live up to your expectations

 **J3m1l1J:** Gracias por el voto de confianza!

* * *

"Prisoner 319, your food" a metallic voice reverberated through the walls of her small prison.

Clarke was so familiar with the routine that she didn't even need to hear it to know what would happen.

First the familiar creaking of the door and the light steps of the guard, who didn't dare enter the room for safety reasons. That would be followed by the unmistakable jingling of a plate thrown carelessly on her floor and finally the resounding tap of the guard's hurriedly receding footsteps, eager to finish feeding the prisoners to be finally relieved of their tedious shift.

"I should try to eat something".

She had learned early on that refusing to eat the prison food, which was worse than anything she had tasted before, only lead to a beating or some other form of punishment and she wasn't eager to experience that any time soon. She still had phantom pains in her back from the last electric whipping she received.

The blonde tried to open her eyes but the sensory overload that assaulted her was unmanageable; her ears were ringing so loud that she was sure her eardrums had shattered.

After the first attempt to incorporate herself she became acutely aware that trying to sit on the bed hadn't been a smart choice either, a wave of nausea invaded her and been unable to fight it she ended up falling to the floor.

All her muscles ache like she had run for hours without stopping, her head was throbbing painfully and her heart was pounding so fiercely that for a second she feared it would break out of her chest. Was this how dying felt like?

She had no idea how much time she spent on the cold, metallic floor, curled up like a baby. It could have been a minute or even hours, she was too disorientated and too worn out to care.

Soon her sobs turn into a loud wailing, why didn't the pain stop?. Surely someone must have heard her by now, most guards were cruel towards their prisoners but even they wouldn't let her die like this, would they?

A fog started to envelop her mind, everything was hazy and slightly out of focus but at least the brutal and relentless pain she felt before seemed to be fading.

Her pulse started to slow down and the soreness lessened a bit but she was exhausted and didn't have the strength to keep fighting so she just closed her eyes and gave up.

A rapidly fired sequence of brief flashes started to dance behind her partially closed eyelids

 _Blood, so much blood; in her hands, her face, her clothes, just about everywhere. Why was it black? That made no sense, blood is red._

 _A two headed deer, green trees and fresh air. The earth. So deadly but so magnificent at the same time._

 _Grounder Warriors, armed with spears and deadly swords. Thousands of them._

 _Metal chains chuffing her wrists, making them bleed._

 _Titus grief-stricken and fearful expression_

 _Life slowly draining from her_

 _Ontari's malevolent smirk_

 _A gleaming double edge sword_

 _Breathtaking green eyes_

 _All-consuming love_

 _Explosive lust_

A roaring cry emerged from her already sore throat. "Lexa!"

No longer feeling like she was dying, Clarke took a second to scrutinize her surroundings; shiny metallic floor and walls, a few art supplies scattered aimlessly and an untouched plate of food. She was in her sky-box, there was no doubt of that.

Was any of what she had just seen, real? It had to be. She couldn't have made it up, could she? No, it had felt so vivid that, no matter how far-fetched and ludicrous it sounded, it had to be real.

Lexa couldn't be a figment of her imagination, she just couldn't. For some reason even the possibility of that filled her with unspeakable dread.

Was her mind playing a trick on her or her prison was even colder than before?. Even wrapped in her comforter she was freezing, she tried rubbing her hands together to generate some warm but it yielded no results.

"You are finally awake my little child" a gravelly voice whispered

"Who are you? Are you even real? Or this is just happening inside my head?"

"Of course it is happening inside your head, but why should that mean that it is not real?"

"That makes no sense whatsoever"

"Don't you feel me?"

"What?"

"In your soul Clarke"

"This is getting weirder by the minute"

"Search your soul for something that shouldn't be there. Something that you had never felt before until today"

"Are you the reason why I'm freezing?"

"Sort of, yes. It takes time for the human body to get used to"

"Get used to what exactly?"

"Me, obviously". The voice sounded amused this time.

"Ok, I'm definitely coming down with something. Maybe it's the flu. But the flu doesn't provoke hallucinations, does it?" Just in case she would check with her mother in her next visit.

The voice laughed loudly. It was pleasant and oddly comforting, like the embrace of an old friend.

"You are not sick Clarke"

"Of course I'm sick, I'm hearing things that are not here"

"We already went through that. I'm in your head, yes, but I'm very much real"

"Who are you?"

"You don't remember me, do you?". The voice sounded disheartened and even a little saddened by this revelation.

For some reason that she couldn't exactly comprehend Clarke wanted the voice, whoever she was, to be joyful again. She wanted her to laugh, like she had done just moments before.

"I'm sorry"

"For what?"

"For not knowing who you are, for forgetting you"

"Oh Clarke, you shouldn't worry about me"

"But I do, I don't really know exactly why but I care for you"

"Your soul is already merging with mine, that's why you care"

"My soul is doing what?"

"You might not consciously recall who I am but your soul does, that's why it accepted our bond so fast"

"Relax, breath slowly and let your mind go blank. What do you see?"

"Nothing I…"

Another flash. Red eyes, a gravelly voice that didn't belong to her, speaking in Trigedasleng, a language she could barely comprehend.

 _"I'm Wanheda and my spirit won't rest until I find you again ai hodnes"_

"So everything was real? The earth? Lexa?"

"Yes, those aren't dreams, they are your memories"

"But how?… why?"

"With your last breath you called for me and I came to your aid"

"Why didn't you show yourself before?"

"You felt responsible for everything that happened down there, even for the events that were out of your control. You were filled with such an unbearable guilt that I couldn't have shared your soul even if I wanted to"

"What happens now?"

"Now darling you make sure we live, not just survive this time"


	3. Sadness flies away on the wings of time

Hi! First I want to apologize for not updating sooner.

Truth is my mother had a stroke at about 15-20 days ago and I became her, somewhat unwilling, 24/7 nurse. Don't get me wrong I love my mom but our relationship has always been a bit complicated and her frustration at not recovering fast enough is frying my, already quite delicate, nerves and exhausting all my patience.

To make up for the long wait, and for the fact that I seem incapable of writing chapters longer than 1100-1300 words, I decided to post 2 chapters together.

Hopefully this will help keeping your pitchforks and angry rants away for a little longer.

A little clarification to make things less confusing: Italic - Wanheda's voice, remember that, for now, it's all in Clarke's head. If it somehow manifests in the outside world I will let you know.

* * *

 **tripmight** : Thanks for the encouragement, I hope it lives up to your expectation.

 **Jo Hamel:** I've always found interesting the theories of our brain not been fully developed, I guess only time will tell if we can actually evolve to "be better". Honestly I've tried writing longer chapters but it has been quite difficult, to compensate for that I will try to update regularly.

 **David12leca** : I will try to make it an enjoyable journey.

* * *

A loud obnoxious horn blared in the distance, interrupting her pleasant dreams. Clarke watched through her little window, half expecting to feel the sun shining on her face or for the moon to delight her with its ethereal glow, but all she saw were familiar metallic walls and sour looking guards.

It had been troublesome for Clarke to adjust again to the routine of keeping track of her day with her watch as the only aid. Morning and night were exchangeable terms in the Ark, their schedule was dictated by efficiency and practicality rather than natural phenomena's like sunrises or sunsets.

She never told another soul, not even Lexa, but the first time she woke up in the earth, with the warm rays of the sun caressing her skin she panicked, for a split second her mind believed she was burning alive. Until she arrived in the earth the sun had been a giant star that the Ark orbited around, the closest interaction they had with it where the solar flares, but even then they couldn't really _feel_ it, they just factually knew that they had to be checked for radiation poisoning. Ironically it wasn't until she was further away from it that she got to actually experience its heat.

Sitting in her bed, hugging her knees, she let herself cry for the first time since she woke up in her new reality. She cried for Lexa and for the life they never got to live together, she cried for herself and the atrocities she had been forced to commit but mainly she cried for everything she had been deprived of since she left the earth.

She wept for the simple things, the unimportant, trivial or meaningless events that every grounder took for granted yet for her had been the most marvelous, wonderful and awe-inspiring experiences of her short life.

She yearned for the moonlight, for the forests with so many shades of green that her paintings could never bring justice to. She wanted to rejoice again with the melody of birds singing with the sunrise. She ached with the need to feel the rain falling down on her face and the wind blowing her hair. She craved the pure air, unlike the fabricated one of the Ark, to fill her lungs once again.

 _"Mourn your loss, let it all out little one, otherwise grief will consume you"_

Memories started to dance in her head. No matter how hard she tried it seemed that every decision she made lead to pointless deaths or someone injured; 300 hundred warriors burned alive by her orders, all the inhabitants of the mountain boiled by radiation, Murphy hanged by a crime he didn't commit, Lincoln –the purest and most gentle soul she had ever met- tortured for defending himself. Names kept popping up in her mind like an endless list of pain and suffering; Charlotte, Finn, the villagers Finn massacred while looking for her, Anya killed by the Arkers, Pike slaughtering grounders because she had been too much of a coward to face her reality and had run away… and Lexa, the biggest failure of them all, so much wasted time, so many regrets.

 _"Embrace all the pain, self-hate, guilt and shame you once felt and let them be your strength. Even the worst of situations taught you a lesson, they shaped the person you are now and the one you will become"_

After what felt like hours the sobs finally ceased, she felt lighter and more in peace with herself than she had felt in months, the blonde couldn't, wouldn't, forget everything that happened but she could finally forgive herself for it. With a renewed sense of purpose and hope igniting a flame in her heart she decided to take the first steps in forging a better future.

 _"Sleep now little one, you will need all the strength you can muster up"_

At first, it had been quite discombobulating and even a bit alarming to share her body, her soul, with someone else but the presence that once felt unnerving was now soothing and comforting, like a blanket on a chilly day or the hug of an old friend you hadn't seen in a long time.

After eating her dinner, a tasteless porridge and a piece of old bread, the blonde sat on the floor and began the meditation and breathing exercises that Wanheda taught her.

 _"For us to succeed it's imperative you train your mind as well as your body"_

When she finished her meditation Clarke began the physical aspect of her training, it was tedious and at times gruesome task but she quickly learned to push away her discomfort and soldier on.

In the few months, she had been on earth her muscles had grown exponentially fast; abundant food and constant physical activity had been the catalyst for that development. This time around she vow to herself that she wouldn't arrive unprepared, instead, she planned to hone her physique to the standards of an elite grounder warrior. To achieve her goal she needed to condition her body not only to withstand pain and fatigue but to survive with meagre rations of food, resources were thin in the ark and the council wouldn't waste more than necessary on expendable prisoners.

Despite the small space available, she followed Wanheda's instructions, at best as she could. The first few days her whole body felt on fire and her muscles had been so sore from the strain she put on them that she barely had the strength to crawl to her bed, where she promptly passed out until the alarm announced the begging of a new day. She didn't let this discourage her, instead, she used it as motivation to improve and a way to keep a benchmark of sorts to asses her progress.

After getting used to the vigorous exercise the blonde easily stablished her new routine; breakfast, meditation, lunch, physical exercise and then dinner, promptly followed by dreamless sleep. She was exceedingly grateful to be so exhausted that she didn't have time to dwell on anything but following the steps she had set for herself.

If she had learned something in the previous time-line was that been in solitary confinement, with nothing to do but look at the ceiling, was that your mind became your biggest enemy. Devoided of meaningful human interaction, aimlessly wandering through your memories, over analyzing everything, replaying every bad decision you ever made in a constant loop. It was no wonder that most of the prisoners in solitary try to commit suicide or became so mentally unstable that they had no hope of ever integrating in the Ark society again.

Before, in what she had begun to call _the other time_ , she had focused on art to occupy her time and scape her cruel and maddening reality. Her mother had sent her drawing materials and she had used them to paint every last inch of her cell; her walls and floors, even the metal bed, had been covered with drawings of the earth, what she had known about it at least, flowers, animals and every other thing she had seen in her books.

This time around, while her mother once again sent her art supplies, she didn't bother to use them. Not only was she too exhausted to even try but she also had to restrain herself from drawing things she had actually seen on Earth and what was even harder she had to keep under control the urge of drawing Lexa, her heart ache to see her again and her fingers itched to try and recreate her beauty. In the end, she concluded that the titanic effort needed to curve her desires did not outweigh the potential benefit. The only thing that made her miserable about her decision was knowing that this time around her mother would have nothing left to remember her by.

Abby had confided in her that she had her old prison cell closed down, to preserve the last memories of her and that she would sit in there every time she was overwhelmed by her responsibilities, or whenever she felt hopeless about the Ark situation or worried about the wellbeing of the 100. Her mother confessed that being surrounded by her drawings brought her piece of mind and a sense of calm that allowed her to soldier on with her duties as a council-woman.


	4. Secrets only we know

"Prisoner 3-1-9 face the wall" a guard called from her door. Clarke placidly complied with the request, grateful that the guard assigned for this particular task was kind and known for treating prisoners with respect, something quite uncommon in the ark. It seemed that brute strength and lack of compassion were unspoken pre-requisites when selecting people to fill the security force.

Been one of the "privileged ones", as many of the 100 used to call her, certainly had perks; she wasn't treated better or given more food but, at her insistence, her mother had convinced Jaha to allow her out of her cell. The chancellor was wary of the request but he felt he own it to them after floating Jake and so he had given her an hour, once a week, it wasn't much, in fact, it was laughable at best, but it was what she had been given and she wouldn't complain, least of all he decided to take it from her. In exchange for that "merciful concession", she had to keep silent all the time and was forbidden to interact with anyone she might cross paths with.

The first time she had been let out Jaha had been apprehensive the whole time, as a fact he had barely slept the night before. To not arouse suspicions Clarke wouldn't be cuffed and only one young guard was to be by her side the whole time, to anyone watching it would look like a late afternoon, lazy stroll with a friend or possibly a romantic partner, and not a warden with her prisoner. No one outside the council and a few guards knew that Clarke Griffin had been imprisoned and he planned to keep it a secret for as long as he could.

Thelonious expected her to use her time to scape, it would be fairly easy to outmaneuver the guard and run. Knowing that, for obvious reasons, no one could actually hide in the Ark for a long time brought no comfort to the Chancellor, Clarke only needed to gain access to one of the control rooms and a few minutes to succeed in spreading Jake's message about the failure in the systems and subsequent oxygen issues the Ark was experiencing.

When Clarke's only request had been to be taken to the area with the best view of the earth the chancellor had been flabbergasted. What was she planning?. It was a pretty isolated corridor, used only by guards doing patrols and a few random mechanics coming and going from one station to the other.

Later that same night he extensively interrogated the guard; What did she do the whole time? Did she seem nervous? Was she looking for something? Did someone approach any of you?. To his great relief, and astonishment, the guard denied every question and conveyed that the prisoner, mindful of her restrictions, walked quietly the whole time and once they reached their destination she just put her hands on the glass walls, like she was trying to physically reach the earth, and merely stared with a wistful smile etched on her face.

At first, Jaha could not believe the man. Did Clark bribe him somehow to lie for her?. While not a practice the council encouraged, it was an open secret that many prisoners used sexual favors as a bargaining chip to improve their living conditions; an extra ration of food, another blanket, some alcohol, longer visiting hours for their family and friends, and other trivial things that made life in that hell-hole a little more bearable. When he became the chancellor he tried to put a stop to it, but no one would testify when questioned and they couldn't prosecute anyone solely based on rumors, so the council had resorted to turn a blind eye to it.

Paranoid by his suspicions, and a little terrified at the potential disaster heading his way, Jaha enlisted the help of a lowly security tech to verify the guards' claims. He scared the man with a possible demotion if he breathed a word about his actions and forced him to check every security camera available in that sector.

A few days later he received a little disk with all the relevant footage and a simple note scribbled on paper, _nothing to report._ While he did not believe the tech would lie to him, for he had nothing to gain by it, the chancellor still took the time to review all the material he had been sent.

Finally able to let out all the anxiety he had been holding in since he authorized Clarke to leave her cell, he allowed himself a few minutes to smile contentedly, maybe for once the faiths were shining upon him, absolutely everything the guard had reported could be corroborated by the camera recordings.

Weeks went by and the routine repeated itself, Jaha had planned to grill her about her strange obsession but in the end, he decided that, as long as she upheld her end of the bargain, he had no motives to intrude in her personal thoughts. He didn't believe she would tell him the truth anyway.

Once again she stood in front of the wall, admiring the view of her beloved earth, Clarke reminisced all the little moments by Lexa's side; fleeting kisses in the shadows, long hours filled with war strategizing and stolen glances full of lust, their last hours together making love and laughing like they had no other care in the world.

"I will not rest until I find you again my love" The blonde mumbled under her breath, mindful of the man a few feet behind her. She hoped that somehow her words would reach Lexa, even if the brunette had no idea who she was yet.

Meanwhile on the earth, in the city of Polis, the capital of the coalition, Lexa was in her room looking up at the breath-taking stars, finding comfort in the never-ending landscape of the night sky.

The brunette had always been fascinated by the firmament, ever since she was a little child, barely a few summers old, she had been intrigued by what resided beyond the confinement of the earth. What mysteries did the sky possess that they weren't privy to?.

Bekka Pramheda, the first Heda, had come from the starts, she had arrived on earth when it was nothing more than a desolated and barren land, ravaged by the nuclear bombs and established the basis to develop the society they knew today. Sometimes she wondered if it was her destiny as the next Heda what made her be so fascinated by the stars.

In the last few months she had been even more drawn to her childhood obsession, after tiring days of settling clan disputes and endless meetings with the ambassadors residing in Polis, she could be often found in the balcony of her room absentmindedly gazing the black sky, like the cluster of stars hold the answers to all her problems. Deep in her heart, she felt like something was missing, and for some weird reason, the answer to it seemed to be hidden far away in the sky.

This particular night, exhausted and more irritated and angrier than she had ever been with the petty political games played by the clans, to get the upper hand, she let the heavens sooth her worries and lull her to sleep. She dreamt about a girl, the image was blurry and too distant to fully see her face but somehow her presence brought her an inner peace she hadn't felt since Costia's death a few years ago.


	5. Success is a journey, not a destination

Here is a new chapter to start the year with the right foot!

Happy new year and my best wishes to everyone!

 **A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (Lao Tzu)**

* * *

She had almost finished her daily exercise routine when she started hearing earsplitting noises coming from outside her cell; the other prisoners started to bang on the walls and chant, in loud and excited voices, about going to the earth.

No matter how hard they tried to disguise it with enthusiastic shouts she could easily distinguish the frightened tremors in all their voices, having honed her senses to gauge the smallest signs while reading her opponents body language in life and death battles, it wasn't exactly hard to pick out the obvious cues.

While all of them were exceedingly happy about leaving the ark, that much was crystal clear, none of them knew if they would survive or if by some miracle they did what would exactly happen down there but even that innate fear of the unknown wasn't enough to quell their exhilaration. Better die in the earth than live here, seemed to have become their unofficial anthem.

The guards tried to seize control of the situation in the only way they knew how, by brute force, and so they kicked, punched and shouted until all the unruly prisoners seemed to fall back in line and back down in their effervescent defiance.

Her door opened with a loud bang and two guards came in, one was twirling his shock baton in what was supposed to be a threatening way but Clarke didn't show fear, after facing grounder warriors Taggart's little act was laughable at best.

"Prisoners 319, face the wall."

This time she didn't resist them, not only she knew what was happening she also wasn't going to give Taggart the satisfaction of hitting her again and get away it.

Clarke didn't even flinch when the brute guard bodily check her, as a fact she allowed herself to give him a mocking smirk.

It seemed that sharing her soul with a warrior spirit allowed her natural defiance to shine even brighter than before. In the _other time_ she had tried to keep her head down and avoid incurring the guards' wrath, but now she didn't even try to curve her sarcastic retorts or openly disdainful sneers.

The blonde faced any punishment given with an unmatched bravery and enjoyed toying with the guards. To their astonishment, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't break her and that perverse satisfaction gave her the strength to withstand anything and everything they threw at her.

"This will be the only time you can touch my body, I would enjoy it if I were you"

Angered by her flippant attitude and the blatant reminder of all the times she refused his advances while imprisoned, he pushed her against the wall, with more force than necessary, to secure her arm and put the bracelet on her wrist.

"Like it rough big boy?" she taunted him again, enjoying his growing anger. The first time she denied him she got a busted lip and another time a black eye, he didn't need to be careful she was in solitary confinement after all.

The enraged man was about to hit her when the other guard with him stopped his raised arm before it made contact with her body.

"I will escort the prisoner from here onwards Taggart"

"But…"

"Back off, she is a council member daughter's for god's sake. Do you want us to be floated for this?"

Clarke didn't know whether to feel grateful or disgusted by the older guard. While he prevented her from being seriously injured before her trip to earth, which could definitely pose a problem later, he clearly knew about Taggart's less than stellar behavior towards the prisoners and only stopped it because of who she was, her mother would surely have them both executed if she happened to find out.

When she came out of her cell the first thing she saw was her mother waiting for her. Abby looked as self-confident and beautiful as ever but the dark circles under her eyes and the hunted look in them betrayed her fear and exhaustion.

"Clarke" She said in a whisper and hugged her tighter than ever, like the older blonde was afraid she would vanish in any minute.

"It's time, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I'm confident everything will be ok" She tried to sound strong but her words couldn't hide the dread she felt. She would be a lousy poker player, Clarke thought idly.

"I prefer to die in earth than be trapped in this box a minute longer". Her words were true, if given the choice she would pick almost everyday day she spent on earth rather than life in the ark.

Black blood coated her hands, lips and every inch of her naked body. Labored breath and moans of pain filled the empty room. _You were right Clarke, life is about more than just surviving_. Everything was blurry, she started to sweat and shake heavily. Her breathing became erratic, only one word was on her mind, like a broken record, Lexa, lexa, lexa!

"Clarke, honey, you are having a panic attack. Focus on my voice"

Slowly but surely the haze in her mind started to ebb away. She was still in the ark and Lexa was alive somewhere in the earth. That small comfort inflamed her chest with unwavering hope and confidence. She wouldn't fail her lover this time, her Heda will rule the coalition for many years to come, even if she had to kill everyone who opposed her with her bare hands.

Luckily her mother had no way of deciphering the real meaning behind her panic attack and attributed her sudden flair of terror and anxiety to her impending trip. Clarke just hugged her tight and reassured her that everything was going to be ok.

"What happens now?"

"First a shower and then a group of guards will escort all of you to the dropship"

Clarke nodded, absentmindedly remembering that she hadn't gone through this part of the process the first time around since she had been knocked unconscious.

"I will see you before we go, right?"

"Of course, I wouldn't dare been anywhere else". You knock me unconscious before and left me alone, she thought bitterly. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts, no matter their differences and how apart they have grown with time, Abby was still her mom and she loved her.

Once alone in the shower she took the time to scrub herself conscientiously, there would be no time later and who knows how long it would take her to find a safe lake once they arrive. Her lack of personal hygiene on earth bother her a lot more this time around. Of course between facing possible death and a bath it was no contest that washing wasn't exactly a priority but still, she reeked… how the hell Lexa managed to ignore that it's a mystery that she will never understand.

The prisoners were directed to a line and Clarke could see that Wells was in the front, she walked quickly to stand beside her only friend. The blond took Wells hands on her own and gave it a little squeeze.

"I know it wasn't you who got my father floated and that you got arrested on purpose. Thank you"

The black boy looked at her in surprise but returned the squeeze and gave her a beaming smile, words were unnecessary between them.

"Clarke!"

Breaking all protocols Abby run to her daughter and embraced her a last time. The guards debated whether to act or not but remembering who the woman was, rapidly decided that there was no point in angering her and let them be.

A few of them even nodded solemnly and sympathetically, first her husband was floated and now her child was sent on a suicide mission, that no one really believed would be successful, the least they could do was allow her this little indulgence.

"I will be okay mom"

"I know you will, you have always been strong and independent. It's me who isn't ok"

"All prisoners take their assign seats please" a cold metallic voice said from a speaker in the wall

"I love you mom". A lonely, traitorous tear fell from her eye. Knowing beforehand that they would survive didn't make it any easier.

"I love you too Clarky"

After what it felt like an eternity, Clarke heard the dropship door close with a resounding bump, sealing their fate as the first of their people to travel to earth in 97 years.

She instantly intertwined her fingers with Wells who offered her a small smile as the countdown started and when it hit zero, they were launched.


	6. The beginning is the most important part

Hi! I hope everyone is doing well.

I apologize for my absence but I've been enjoying my well-deserved vacations. Getting tanned and swimming in the sea... an amazing escape from reality that I plan to enjoy while it lasts.

Tonight I left my family sleeping and went to the bar a few houses from our apartment, where I'm updating while waiting for a cold beer.

* * *

The blonde casually looked around, everything was exactly as she remember from the previous time. Her anxiety started to flare out, what if things don't happen the same way? What if they actually die this time?.

Clarke tried to force herself to calm down but it only seemed to make it worse. Blackspots started to swim in her vision, they were going to die on a suicide mission and she would never see Lexa again. She would never experience the touch of those callous yet exceedingly gentle hands roaming her skin, making her feel like she was on fire, she would never get to kiss those sweet lips that tasted like grounder wine and fresh fruits.

Wells, bless his soul, must have realized her state of panic because he grabbed her hands and tried to distract her.

"How are you feeling?"

She arch an eyebrow in challenge, how do you think I'm feeling?, but smiled anyway, he had always been a supportive friend, always trying to protect her, even if she hadn't always understood nor appreciated that.

"Stupid question, sorry. Honestly I'm terrified"

"That makes two of us then" Clarke laughed at her own answer and internally thanked him for the distraction.

"I'm glad you're here with me, Wells" And she really was, the pain that Wells death brought to her was not something she would willingly put herself through again.

Her main priority would always be Lexa but she had been granted the most amazing of gifts and she needed to keep her best -and only friend- by her side through this journey.

"There is nowhere else I rather be"

The dropship began to shake uncontrollably, a few pieces of metal fall from the walls, striking terror in the delinquents and making more than one shout and cry in desperation.

"We hit the atmosphere." She said like last time, the last thing she needed was for massive hysteria to spread through the entire population, things would be rough enough without adding more problems to it.

A few minutes later Jaha's video message started, God just what they needed now, she hated that pompous, self-righteous jackass.

"Prisoners of The Ark, hear me now. You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable"

"Your dad is a dick, Wells"

"Do you want a prize for voicing the obvious?" was the fast retort to the comment.

Many, including Clarke, looked at him in surprise and more than a few in approval.

Well, that was certainly interesting, Clarke thought to herself, the first time around he just let the rude comment slide but now he was willing to stand up for himself.

Was she unknowingly making changes?. Hopefully having her support and friendship meant that Wells wouldn't let anyone make him a target for their missplaced anger and hate.

"If, however, you do survive, those crimes will be forgiven, your records wiped clean. The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base built within a mountain. It was to be stocked with enough non-perishables to sustain 300 people for up to two years. No one ever made it there. Because we spare you no food, or water, or medicine, I cannot stress strongly enough, that Mount Weather is life"

Clarke first thought was fucking assholes, while they needed the 100 to live they were prepared to just count their deaths as necessary for the greater good of the Ark. They were expendable, barely more than a waste of space and resources and that line of thinking was the reason they felt no needed to send even basic supplies. After all, death was their guaranteed fate, with the low oxygen supplies left none of them would be pardoned in their re-trial.

For a brief second she contemplated the idea of letting all of them root in their precious ark but then she thought of David McIntyre, embracing Harper like she was the most precious thing in the whole world, and her anger faded instantly. The population of the ark wasn't to blame for the underhanded and cruel tactics of their council members.

Her resentment and annoyance with Jaha and the others completely evaporated when she heard the words Mount Weather, a place that still hunted her nightmares, an ever present reminder of the atrocities she had been forced to commit.

Horror and apprehension settled in the pit of her stomach when thinking of Cage Wallace and his underlings. Even Dante, with his refined tastes and gentlemanly behavior, made the bile rise in her throat, he may have speared her friends but he had no remorse whatsoever about bleeding, torturing and killing those he considered savages and inferiors.

Committing genocide, for there was no other word to describe her actions, had tainted her soul in an irreversible way and chipped away the last vestiges of her innocence. It had taken her months alone in the wild to stop trying to find a scapegoat, mainly Lexa, and hold herself accountable for her choice.

In the end she made peace with herself and while she still felt responsible for snuffing some innocent lives, the guilt didn't drown her anymore. The worst thing of thinking about it again was that, even knowing the consequences, she wouldn't hesitate in doing it this time around if she had to.

Shaking her head Clarke purposely refocused on the present time, there was no point in mulling over something that hasn't happen and may or may not come to be. There were too many uncontrollable factors and variables to try and predict if the same exact future was going to play out regarding the mountain. She would defeat it, that wasn't negotiable, but the exact how remain a mystery.

She suddenly remembered a quote she once read in one of her history books about the old word "It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time", she couldn't remember who said it but its meaning resonated deep within her even then and now she could relate to it even more than before.

* * *

1\. The original title was "The beginning is the most important part of the work" (FF doesnt allow such a long title). It comes from Plato's most famous and widely read dialogue, The Republic.

2\. The quote about destiny belongs to Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of the UK).

3\. David McIntyre doesn't exist but for the sake of this fic he is Harper's father. I honestly thought about Hannah Green when I wrote this but considering she became a mass murderer I didn't think it was appropriate.

4\. Clarke didn't think about Abby when she thought about letting the Ark die, that was intentional not an oversight.


	7. We're back, bitches!

Clarke rolled her eyes when she saw Finn floating. How had she found him charming and had even been attracted to this moron before was something she still couldn't completely understand.

In her memory lane trips and reflections, while in solitary confinement, she concluded that it had probably been the loneliness of losing Wells, long before his death at Charlotte's hands, and the grief for her father's death that prompted her to cling to him like a life line.

"Spacewalker bandit strikes again." Someone shouted joyfully, celebrating his act of defiance.

Clarke sneered at his foolishness, did he have no self-preservation instinct whatsoever?. "More like stupid bandit" She said loud enough for almost everyone to hear. A chorus of aws and ouchs was the instant reply of the other passengers.

To the blonde's aggravation some things were meant to repeat themselves, just like before, Finn stopped in front of them while floating horizontally "Check it out. Your Dad floated me after all." He said mockingly to Wells and laugh unabashedly like he had told the greatest joke of all times.

Clarke dismissed him easily as soon as she noticed the other two who, trying to copy Finn, started to get their seatbelts off.

"Hey you two! We are about to start landing and it will not be an easy ride. Hold tight in your seats before you break your neck trying to imitate this idiot!"

Luckily the lean built boy with short black hair and tan skin, whose name she would later learn was Glen Dickson, decided to heed her warning and stopped fumbling with his seatbelt, the other guy just rolled his eyes and started floating around carelessly. She sighed but easily put the incident away from her mind, in the end everyone had free will to make their own choices.

"Hey, you're the traitor who's been in solitary for a year"

"Yeah and you are the idiot who will get himself and that other moron killed before we find out if the earth is toxic or not"

"But it was fun" he said petulantly "I'm Finn by the way" he added while smiling, trying to be charming.

"I know who you are, you wasted a month worth of oxygen on an illegal spacewalk" She retorted with disgust. His and Raven's careless actions had costed people their lives in the end.

Before he could say anything more she grabbed a hold of his leg and pulled him towards her. When he was close enough she hold him by his arms and forced him to practically sit on top of her.

"Trying to cop a feel princess?"

"More like saving your sorry ass" the blonde said as the ship started to tremble and shaking so hard that for a moment she thought it was gonna fall apart before they landed.

She continued to hold Finn down until they seemed to have finally hit the ground and as soon as the movement ceased she threw him to the floor like a rag doll.

The blonde rapidly made her way to the boy who had also been floating and had been thrown backwards when the dropship started to shake. Hoping against all hope she checked his pulse but exactly like before there was nothing there.

She easily saw the remorse on Finns face, his I didn't mean for that to happen look, which she had, regrettably, been extremely acquainted with in the past. She briefly thought of comforting him but instantly dismissed the idea, she was not responsible for his idiocy and she had far more important things to do.

"Open the doors, goddammit!" This time she felt no dread at the words, instead hope and elation filled her entirely. Of course knowing the air wasn't toxic was a big help.

"Stop, the air could be toxic."

"Wells if the air is toxic, we're all dead anyway."

"Yeah, I guess you are right" he said chuckling

"Bellamy?" Everyone turned to the brunette running down the ladder. She wasted no time and fling herself to his open arms.

"My God, look how big you are" He didn't even tried to hide the tears in his eyes and the slight quivering of his voice. Clarke was the only one in the group who knew how deep his love for his sister run and what he was willing to do for her.

"What the hell! are you wearing a guard's uniform?" everyone close to the brunet boy took an unconscious step back, the girl's angry voice was a little frightening.

Clarke understood her reaction, there was no one Octavia hated more than Ark guards. They had taken everything from her, starting with her mother.

"I borrowed it to get on the drop ship. Someone has got to keep an eye on you"

Like you can. She thought sarcastically. Octavia was a grounder warrior at heart; independent, fierce and incredibly strong. Absolutely no one, least of all Bellamy, could stop her.

She needed to get the ball rolling if they were going to leave this place anytime soon "Where's your wristband?"

"Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year". And just like that the whispers, rude stares and even more obnoxious comments started

"Nobody has a brother." Someone said. "That's Octavia Blake. The girl they found hidden under the floor." Someone else called it.

Clarke wonder if she should she do something but ultimately decided against it. Not only was Octavia was more than capable of defending herself but knowing how prideful the brunet was she wouldn't take kindly to her interference.

"Octavia, no. Let's give them something else to remember you by"

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Like being the first person on the ground in 100 years" Bellamy said smiling at her

Clarke could feel the tears coming to her eyes when she heard Octavia's voice resonate deeply inside the dropship. One step closer to Lexa were the words she kept repeating in her head like a mantra.

"We're back, bitches!" Octavia yelled while jumping down from the platform onto the ground.


	8. Forging a new path

**Hi! I just want to let you know that I haven't abandoned this story, fear not I'm committed to finishing it!**

 **I know it's been long, too long, so I made an effort and this chapter is longer.**

 **The adventure finally begins!**

* * *

Clarke took a minute to contemplate the vibrant world around her, so different from the sterile and white Ark; the impossibly tall trees that seem to scrape the sky, the beautiful flowers and gentle rays of the sun on her face, it was like a balm for her troubled soul.

Clarke let out an audible sigh as she looked at the ground, loving the feeling of fresh and muddy earth beneath her feet. A sense of content and peacefulness settle in her heart, long gone were the nights of longing and dread, she finally came _home._

No matter how dangerous and hectic their life on earth had been she couldn't deny the immense beauty that had always surrounded them. Beauty that she hadn't always appreciated but would never take for granted anymore.

For a second she wondered if she should try to keep things as close to the original timeline as possible but remembering how that path led to a future littered not only with mangled corpses and broken dreams but, even more important, without Lexa, she completely dismissed it.

The original future or was it the past now?. Whatever. The original something can float itself. She was not only going to survive this time, no, this time she was going to thrive and flourish while trying to enjoy the hell out of her journey towards the love of her life.

"We got problems, Clarke" Wells said distracting her from her thoughts.

She folded the map she had been pretending to study while letting her mind contemplate and discard different possibilities on what to do this time around.

Trying to plan for every contingency was not only exhausting but realistically impossible and trying to analyze every variable and predict the outcome was even more futile, as any change, no matter how little it might seem in the grand scheme of things, could screw all her careful planning.

Knowing that even the most meticulous constructed plans could fall apart Wanheda had advised her that instead of wasting precious time in useless plotting, which may ultimately lead to their premature death if wrongly executed, they only needed to focus in minimizing the risks.

"All the systems failed. A dozen panels are missing and the communication system is completely dead"

Knowing about the failure beforehand had helped to soften the blow, the first time around she had been devastated but now her mind easily shifted to another topic without dwelling on it.

"Our first priorities have to be safety, water, shelter, and food"

Wells nodded in agreement. He might not know much about survival technics in hostile environments, earth skills was his least favorite subject, but it definitely sounded like a reasonable course of action.

While everyone ran through the trees giggling and cheering, marveling at the wonders that the earth so freely offered, she fought back the urge to do the same. She owned it to them to hold firm and be a strong leader, a better leader than the first time around.

"Everyone gather around!"

Minutes later everybody was looking at her expectantly "We need to organize ourselves…"

"This isn't the Ark Blondie, we don't have to listen to the privileged ones like you anymore!" Bellamy said, making a few cheer and holler in approval.

Clarke sighed and rolled her eyes but let him speak his piece. Bellamy, while charismatic, lacked foresight and long-term planning, he was surely going to say something stupid, like the first time around, and she planned on exploiting that to her benefit.

The 100 were all naive in their understanding of the world around them, of the dangers that sat in the trees observing them and all the challenges they would face before been able to call the earth their home. She needed them organized and willing to cooperate, this time she was not letting their survival in the hands of luck and fate.

Luck is a capricious mistress at best, one who gives you a break every now and then but mostly just screws you over whenever you expect it the least. Organization and discipline were the keys to success.

"No more rules" We are the masters of our destiny!" Bellamy shouted

"No more council!"

"No more guards!"

"No more sky-box or floatings!"

With every word, he yelled the others began to applaud even more fervently. Excited shouts echo Bellamy's words.

"No more rationing!"

Wells was about to intervene but the blonde stopped him with a vigorous shake of her head. Thankfully the boy listened to her or they would surely have lynched him, mobs were always dangerous and unpredictable, incensed ones like this even more so.

"No more anything!"

"That's exactly the problem!. No more anything!"

Her words made the hollers of euphoria lower instantly. Bellamy looked at her with surprise etched in his face while Wells was nodding as if he already knew what she was going to say. He probably did, she thought, he must have realized how precarious their situation was.

"We have no protection from possible predators, no shelter, no water, no food, and no medicine. We have absolutely nothing!". No more rules, no more morals, and restrictions. Just utter chaos. She added to herself.

The once elated crowd had become deadly quiet now. This was the moment she had been waiting for when they finally understood how difficult the days to come would be.

"I want all of you in groups of ten. When that's ready let's divide..."

"Who put you in charge blondie?" Bellamy challenged her.

As a few others voiced their disapproval of Clarke, the blonde made a hasty decision, she would let things play out without her intervention for a little while. They wanted _freedom_ , fine, let them figure it out for themselves that living on earth was a lot harder than living in the Ark.

 _Maybe if they suffer a little they will see reason and won't fight me every step of the way_. If she had dwelled on the sentiment she might have wondered where did that spiteful side of her had come from but instead, she stored it for later as this was definitely not the time for self-introspection.

"No one did, I am just saying what needs to be done for everyone to survive. The original plan was for us to arrive near Mount Weather. That's over there!" Clarke pointed to the mountain that was barely visible in the distance.

"We will never make it in one day and even if we could we have no clue about what kind of obstacles are between us and that place or even if it actually has any food"

Whispers started again. She had to remind herself that at the end of the day they were a bunch of scared children who had tasted freedom for the first time. Had she been that naïve too?. She couldn't remember even if she tried.

"You want to be in charge Bellamy or maybe you do Atom?" The black hair boy raised his eyebrows in surprise "Yes, you, I heard you snickering and badmouthing me" He looked a little ashamed but she just rolled her eyes "Well you guys are officially in charge but don't come crying when things get rough"

She turned around leaving the group of stunned teenagers behind.

"Where are you going?"

It didn't surprise her that it was Octavia who called for her, out of the two Blake siblings she had always been the most level-head one.

"To look for water and food and maybe explore a little. You are welcome to join me if you want"

"Octavia stays here."

"That's her decision, not yours… " Clarke started to say.

"I'm going, Bell," Octavia said, a dangerous edge in her tone. "I've been locked up all my life, you are not going to lock me up too." Bellamy grabbed her arm and started to talk to her in a harsh undertone about possible dangers.

Clarke decided to leave Octavia to deal with her brother, if she had stayed she would have ended up strangling Bellamy to death. She didn't really miss dealing with this arrogant and over-confident version of him.

She carefully approached Murphy, maybe with a little nudge in the right direction and a hand extended in friendship he would grow out of his jackass persona faster and became the man she remembers, the one who was with her after Lexa's death. Besides curtailing any influence Bellamy could have on him would only make her life easier in the long run.

"I'm going to see if I can find water and hunt something to eat. Do you want to come?"

He looked at her skeptically "Why me?"

"Out of everyone here you are my best chance at actually accomplishing something" The blonde said while gesturing at the other teenagers "You are a survivor Murphy, you know how to fight and truthfully I already like you for the sole reason of breaking Taggarts nose" she admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Flattery will get you everywhere blondie"

Clarke couldn't help but sigh in relief, earning Murphy's friendship was the key to get his loyalty and trust. Out of all of the delinquents, he was the most dangerous and unpredictable one but he also proved to be resourceful and a lot more suited to grounder life than most, all in all, someone she would really like to have in her corner this time around.

"I guess there is no point in waiting for the fuckboy over there and his cronies to pull their heads out of their asses and realized how fucked we actually are. Do you have a plan blondie?"

In under a minute Wells caught up with them and a few seconds later Finn joined them too, walking beside an already smitten Octavia.

No Monty nor Jasper this time she idly noted, was Murphy's presence the reason for their absence?.

On one hand, she missed Monty, the self-proclaimed king of all things technological, with his soft-spoken ways, logical reasoning under pressure and reassuring yet not over-bearing presence.

On the other a large part of her was relieved when she didn't see Jasper in their little hunting party, she didn't know if she was ready to face him yet.

Clarke understood, better than most ever will, that everyone grieves in the own way and at their own pace but Jasper never even made the effort to try moving on. He held on to his sorrow and let it consume his entire being, sinking into the haze of alcohol immediately after returning from the mountain.

In the end he had become a shadow of his former self, long gone was the easy-going kid she had met, he had become lazy and cruel, lashing out at everyone around him, especially her. In his delirious mind, she was the source of everything bad that had ever befallen the delinquents, something he took immense pleasure in reminding her at any chance he had.

Sometimes on her loneliest nights, while on the run, all she could hear where his taunting and vicious words, tainted with a maliciousness she had never even suspected he possessed.


	9. Facing the wilderness

"The first thing we need to do is make some weapons, we can use sharp shards of metal from the dropship as knives and sharpen wood to make a few spears"

"Why not look for food first, there are probably plants or something around here. I'm getting hungry" Finn complained slightly

Well rolled his eyes at him "The human body can survive up to 2 weeks without food, but just 3 or 4 days without water"

"Wells is right, besides we don't know what we can actually eat. Any animal should be safe but plants are trickier, they could be poisonous"

While working on their soon to be weapons Murphy was his usual sarcastic self and mocked everyone else, but Clarke easily spotted the disguised pride dancing in his eyes while holding his makeshift knife like one would hold a trophy.

The blonde couldn't help but smile and compliment him on his efforts, it was going to be a long road to make him the man she knew he could be but it seemed that the little act of simply including him in her group was already paving the way for it.

When everyone was armed, except for Finn who loudly stated he was not planning to harm anything out there, they finally left the dropship landing site and started walking through the forest.

"Are you really stupid enough to walk out there without some kind of protection?"

"Not all of us are bloodthirsty savages like you Murphy"

Clarke couldn't help but snort at that, you are far worse than Murphy ever was, she thought to herself.

When the other four turned to look at her oddly she just shrugged and dismissed them. "I agree with Murphy, it's stupid, but alas, you can do whatever the hell you want".

Finn rolled his eyes but John, in some sort of approval, smirked at her. She counted that as a win in her book.

Luckily the council had the decency of sending some empty jerry cans, without them they wouldn't have anything to store water. She asked them to take one each and they finally left their camp.

Once in the forest, the boys moved ahead leaving Octavia trailing behind with Clarke. The blonde hoped that the boys wouldn´t take the same route as the first time, if they did she would just steer them in another direction, she was not planning to run into the grounders any time soon. Fortunately for her Murphy seemed to have taken the lead and he had chosen another path.

"Before you get any ideas," started Octavia "Finn's mine."

Clarke sighed before looking at her in the eyes, she needed to make sure the girl was really paying attention when she answered "Honestly, I couldn't care less Octavia. He is not my type". She thought about telling the brunette that Finn was already taken but she had no way of justifying that knowledge so she kept it to herself.

The blonde wanted Octavia as her friend again and knew that at this stage she needed to tread carefully, she had to remind herself that this girl wasn't her Octavia yet. She wasn't Linconl's lover and proud grounder warrior, she still was the clueless, reckless and immature child who had spent her entire childhood in a small compartment under the floor, locked away and denied the most basic human rights and then her teenage hood imprisoned in a sky-box.

Clarke easily caught up with Wells and Murphy, whom, to her amazement, weren't arguing but sharing a pleasant chat about the things that surrounded them. It was a trivial and inconsequential talk but considering what had happened before it was a hell of a lot more than what she expected.

Like before, she saw Finn plucking a flower but couldn't stop him from putting it in her hair. Murphy and Wells snickered at his actions, oddly, they seemed to bond a little more over their shared amusement, and it was that what gave Clarke the strength to reign her anger towards the boy.

The blonde sighed in annoyance. He didn't remember Raven at all, did he?. Clarke knew she couldn't stop him from trying to flirt with her but she had no plans to encourage him either so she just grabbed the flower and discarded it easily, crushing it under her boot for good measure. Unfortunately, it wasn't poison sumac this time, which would have been useful at least.

"Hey chill out princess". Annoyance filtered in Finn's voice at being rebuffed so succinctly but the blonde paid him no mind, she didn't have time for his unwelcomed advances.

"I will when we are back in the camp" The sharpness of her tone left no room for any kind of argument.

Twenty minutes after the flower episode the blonde held up a hand, signaling for the others to be quiet, there was something out there. She knew it had to be some kind of animal, no grounder would have been careless enough to make those sounds and alert them of their presence.

"It's a buck" Wells whispered in awe. Clarke understood his astonishment, it was the first animal they had ever seen.

"What do we do now?"

Clarke dropped into a slight crouch, moving forward as silently as she could, and motion for Murphy to do the same.

"When I say three we throw the spears and try to stab it"

"That is your genius plan blondie?"

"Do you have a better one?"

"Not really" he said with a shrug

"One, two, three!"

Pride swelled in her chest as their spears sunk into its target, dropping the buck. Unfortunately, it wasn't dead but it definitely wouldn't be running off.

"We did it, blondie, we actually did it!" Murphy shouted joyfully.

Clarke high-fived him before kneeling next to the buck. She wanted to spare him more pain so as fast as she could she pulled her makeshift knife across its throat, effectively killing it.

"Why did you do that?!" Finn shouted heatedly.

The contrast of his ire against the jubilant cheers of victory from the other three was almost comical to Clarke. She briefly smiled with fondness, _this_ was the boy she had once grown to love, not the unrecognizable one he had become after playing judge, jury, and executioner, against a group of defenseless and peaceful grounders.

She shook her head to get rid of those unwanted thoughts, he might be the same but she definitely wasn't and it wouldn't be fair to him to lead him on, knowing that her heart belongs to another.

"This is our dinner or did you think that we just were out here for a lazy stroll?" the blonde said sarcastically

"Spacewalker make yourself useful and help Junior get water from that pond"

Clarke looked at Murphy in confusion "Junior?"

"Mini Jaha" He said simply, a little exasperated, like she should have understood without an explanation.

"Wells is not his father, you know?. Sometimes he hates the chancellor as much as the rest of us, maybe even more"

"Junior is cool but that doesn't mean I will stop making fun of him blondie. That's how I roll"

Clarke shook her head but let him be, Wells had never really cared about nicknames and she had more important things to do.

"Octavia, Octavia" the blonde had to call for her a few times before been acknowledged. The girl had frozen in her spot and now was looking at her in awe, like she was some sort of Goddess or something equally ridiculous.

"Can you help me find a big piece of wood?". After getting an energetic nod in response Clarke turned to look at Murphy "Please see if you can find some vines to tie him up"

After tying the buck, which Murphy and she would carry, and filling up the cans they made their way back to camp.

While walking Clarke couldn't help but wonder what was happening there and how much the future had been already changed by her different approach to things. In the other timeline, by this time of the day, Jasper had already been speared by grounders and after rescuing him Bellamy and she had killed a panther for everyone to eat.

* * *

 **Thanks for all your support and encouraging words. You guys are the best!**


	10. Ridding the middle of the road

**The original title was a** **quote from George Pratt Shultz (American economist, elder statesman and businessman), "** **He who rides the middle of the road gets hit from both ends" but sadly FF doesn't allow long titles.**

* * *

Once in their camp Clarke led them to a secluded corner, her primary goal was to avoid drawing unnecessary attention because if Bellamy was anything like before, chaos was sure to start anytime soon.

She was a hardened warrior but not even her extensive hand to hand combat training would be enough to overpower all the remaining delinquents, if they suddenly decided to turn on them for one reason or another, so the best course of action was to lay low and wait.

After they had sat on the floor, to rest for a little while, Bellamy spotted them and wasted no time to approach them. Inwardly cursing her bad luck, Clarke got up and faced the man, she wouldn't let him intimidate her.

"Do you need something?"

"As a matter of fact I do blondie" Bellamy sneered "you know, it's fitting that as one of the privileged ones you finally did the hard work for a change" He added as an after-thought and everyone who was listening cheered at that, Clarke just smirked at his predictableness, he had said something along those lines before.

"Well, we weren't given any food and I don't plan to starve so it was either go out there and try to find something or stay here and laze around like you seem to be doing"

The brunette boy ignored her taunts and pursed his lips in annoyance "as the leader of this camp I'm here to confiscate that meat"

"You must have hit your head pretty hard on the fall to say something stupid like that. First a deer won't feed almost 100 people and second, it's not really my problem that you and the idiots that seemed intent on following you are lazy jerks. This food and water are ours and truthfully I have no plans to share"

At a sign from Bellamy, Mbege went to grab the food but Finn approached him from behind "You should take a few steps back."

Clarke just looked at him in annoyance. "I don't need a savior. I can take care of idiots like him myself. Thank you very much." She said, bodily checking Mbege and effectively stopping him.

"Hey, spacewalker. You can rescue me next, I promise I will like it." Octavia said as Finn sighed dejectedly.

Bellamy grabbed the gun from his belt and pointed it at Clarke, by this time everyone was in close hearing range waiting with bated breath to see how things develop. Most were stunned, eyes big as saucers, but a few started whispering among themselves.

"Are you really stupid enough to shoot me?" The mocking tone in her voice was evident to everyone, including Bellamy.

The boy was dumbfounded by her careless attitude, most people panicked when facing the end of a gun yet Clarke dismissed it as a mere inconvenience.

"I will. You don't want to test me"

He tried to project an aura of confidence, which fooled almost everyone, but to her, the false bravado in his voice was easily discernable. This Bellamy was all posture, arrogant and a bully at heart but not a killer, if he shoots her it would be by accident and not design. Besides she knew him enough to know he was lying; his left eyebrow raised and fall steadily and his hands were shaking a little while holding the gun.

"If you do you are a bigger idiot than what I thought. I'm the only chance any of you have at surviving"

"We don't need you. What makes you think you are so special? You may have gotten lucky hunting but any of us can do it princess" it was Mbege this time who spoke, always a mindless follower she mused in irritation. At least Murphy had been a little pro-active in his bullying, Mbege, on the other hand, couldn't even think for himself.

"I'm the only one who has any kind of medical knowledge" she retorted with barely concealed exasperation "I'm sure Monty can identify useful plants but what good would that do if no one really knows what to do with them?"

"Green?" asked Connor in barely concealed surprise, like it didn't even cross his mind to think the guy could be useful. From his point of view only strong people like him, Bellamy and Mbege had a chance to survive, nerds like Monty Green would do nothing but slowed them down in the long run.

"His family grows all the pharmaceuticals in the Ark" Jasper supplied and Monty elbow him slightly at that, he really didn't want Bellamy and his little gang to focus on him too much.

"I could force you to help, I have a gun after all" by this point Bellamy was just trying to assert some kind of superiority over her, he needed her to back down and accept his leadership without questions or his plans to seize control of the camp would never come to fruition.

He had no plans to shoot her, her medical expertise was invaluable to their survival, but he also realized that if he didn't do something about her defiance he would lose the respect most of the others delinquents had for him.

He could see that his leadership was starting to crumble, loyalties that seemed unbreakable were starting to waver and the tides were not exactly in his favor.

"You only have 13 bullets. Would you really consider losing some ammo for a petty squabble like this?"

"Well, I could always beat you in submission if I had to" Bellamy smiled condescendingly, she had given him a perfect opportunity to re-establish his dominance over their little group. He was confident that he could beat her, he had been a guard cadet after all.

"Bellamy there is no point in fighting each other, what would we accomplish?. The council dropped us into a shitty situation, they practically sent us to our death but I know that if we work together we will find a way to survive"

"The only thing I'm hearing is that you are too scared to fight me, princess"

"You can't solve every problem with brute force or a gun"

"This isn't the ark, you can't hide behind the laws that favored the privileged ones like you anymore, the faster you accept that the easiest it will be for everyone"

She felt a familiar pressure behind her eyelids and instinctively looked down, avoiding eye contact with Bellamy or anyone else. If she were to look in a mirror she would see her eyes briefly flashing red.

" _How dare this insolent little boy challenge us like that?. We will never vow to him or anyone we deem unworthy!"_

"Fine. You want a fight, you will get one"

The blonde fervently hoped that acquiescing to this worthless fight wouldn't cost her the chance of making the remaining delinquents trust her. She wanted to gain their loyalty but to achieve that she knew she needed to earn their respect first, making them terrified of her wouldn't achieve anything.

Only authoritarian and dogmatic leaders surround themselves with people eager to blindly accept them and their choices, people, ready to say whatever the person in power will find most acceptable, even if it's glaringly obvious that in the long run, those choices could be detrimental to their common goal.

Clarke knows she is nowhere near perfect, that she will make many mistakes thus she need people willing to point out her blunders and help her see her faults. Sometimes what a leader needs most is to hear the truth, before they say or do something that will bring harm to themselves and others.

If they feared her; they would fear doing or saying anything that might suggest dissension; fear exercising individual freedom to think and speak and if that were to happen they were doomed before they could even begin.


	11. I's the size of the fight in the dog

**As almost always the title of the chapter is a quote, this time it belongs to Mark Twain.**

 **The full quote is "** **It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"**

 **As a side note while "poison sumac" was mention in the show as some kind of natural tranquilizer or pain reliever (truthfully I don't remember) the truth is that this plant is more toxic than its relatives' poison ivy and poison oak.**

 **I'm not being a plant geek here, pointing out some minutiae of botany, to be perfectly honest I'm able to identify like 5 plants (and one of those are roses) but I like to share whatever little knowledge I might have.**

* * *

As soon as the challenge was accepted all the other delinquents retreated in a human circle, enclosing the soon to be combatants. A few, like Octavia and surprisingly Murphy, tried to intervene but their efforts were quickly hindered by someone else before they could so much as set a foot in the fighting arena.

Subconsciously the group of delinquents had divided itself. Humans are, by nature, herd animals and because of that primal instinct, is simply natural to have the desire to identify leaders and followers. Not only will that selection provide security and order to a previously established group but, in case of unforeseen calamities, it will also help shift the blame from the individual components to the leaders, thus absolving the followers from anything that might go wrong. Everyone craves the glory and potential benefits that come with been in charge but almost no one wants the responsibility of making hard choices.

Bellamy was a compelling figure, his natural charisma and confidence shone effortlessly, no one could deny that, he easily won them over promising them freedom and a new beginning but what many had started to realized was that his promises, while full of allure and excitement, were devoid of any real meaning, just vague and empty words, for he made no real effort to properly guide them or even help them settle down.

He preached that this was the beginning of a new era and guaranteed them a better future than what the Ark had held in store for them yet he tried to establish his dominance by bullying whoever opposed him. Did they really want someone like him in charge of their fate?.

Clarke, on the other hand, was regarded with suspicion, while most have never really interacted with her before they knew she belonged to the Ark's ruling class and that little fact didn't sit well with the former prisoners. They wanted to be free from the Ark's influence but they had to concede that she was the only one among them who seemed to have an idea on how to survive in the hostile environment they had been dropped in. Would it be so terrible to support her and give her the benefit of the doubt?.

Bellamy ran to meet her, heart filled with savage fury. His plan was fairly simple, try to overwhelm his foe with a frenzied barrage of big and aggressive movements. He had no training in personal combat, guards relied on their stun guns, but believed that his brute strength would be enough advantage over Clarke.

At first, she easily blocked his wild and uncoordinated punches but after a while, she started to get tired, the unrelenting onslaught was taking a toll on her. Clarke foolishly lowered her guard to attack him when a punch connected with her chest and another with her ribcage, sending her to the ground.

She took a deep breath, trying to regain some footing. Her head was swimming and a wave of nausea struck her, she felt her stomach tighten but refused to throw up, she was not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much damage he had actually done.

Everything blurred for a minute, then came back into focus again. When her vision was a little better and she felt a little steadier, the blonde exhaled, inhaled again, inched her arms under her and pushed herself up on her hands and knees.

 _"Don't you dare give up! Get up and fight!"_. Wanheda's voice resonated in her head.

An animal snarl clawed its way up her throat and with renewed strength she launched herself against an unsuspecting Bellamy, who had cockily let his guard down while waiting to gloat about his victory.

She grabbed him in a headlock, thrusting a leg behind him, and threw him to the ground. Clarke tried to punch him in the face but the brunette boy, rapidly recovered from the attack, rolled away from the blonde and got back on his feet.

He lunged, trying the same movements that had worked in his favor so far, but this time Clarke was ready and effortlessly deflect them. Realizing his punches had missed he changed tactics and tried to push her but she had easily seen it coming. Turning, Clarke caught Bellamy's left hand in her right one and locked it between her fingers, pushing it back and up, the sudden shooting pain and Clarke's leverage sending the boy to his knees, a startled yelp escaping him.

Using all the strength he could master he throw all his weight against her and slammed her into the floor. Not giving the blonde any time to react he started to kick her, over and over again.

She absorbed the trauma, swallowing the pain, then kicked her way slowly back to the surface. The blond managed to him in the chest and send him tumbling down.

For a few seconds both combatants laid on the grass, the ache and extent of their injuries prevent them from making any sudden movements. They were badly bruised, full of lacerations and cuts, their ears were ringing, their hearts pounded erratically and both could taste blood in their mouths.

Despite his weak legs and hazy vision Bellamy tried to deliver another blow but Clarke managed to roll over and kick him behind the knee, making him tumble in agony.

Using his rage and tarnished pride as fuel Bellamy crawled on his hands and knees and using a fallen log as support he succeeded in getting up once more, in a poor attempt to deliver another blow he swung again, but lacking strength he barely managed to graze her cheek.

Clarke, using her last reserve of energy, curled her hand into a fist and aimed for his face. With a sickening crunch, her fist connected with the bridge of his nose, snapping his head back. Bellamy's blood splattered all over the ground and he fell once again.

A deafening silence enveloped the combatants, at first no one dared to move, too shocked by what had transpired, but once the tension seemed to subdue, claps, cheers, and excited shouts began to fill the air.

She may have won but she certainly did not feel like a winner; half her face was swollen, at least one of her eyes would be black by tomorrow, her hands were sore and her ribs ache simply for breathing, luckily they didn't seem to be fractured.

While trying to regulate her breathing Clarke hoped they would chalk up her unexpected victory to luck and pure determination. If she was questioned about it she wasn't sure if she would be able to give them a suitable explanation for her fighting skills.

The blonde was about to leave the human-made arena to some isolated part of their camp to tend to her injuries in peace when she saw that Bellamy was still in the ground.

For a second she idly wondered if she should just leave him there to nurse his wounds, pain and humiliation seemed like a fitting punishment, but her natural inclination to help those in need prevented her from it. Instead, she helped him on his feet and proceed to check on his injuries.

"It's not broken, thankfully"

He curved his mouth in a barely there smile and, while he didn't voice it, Clarke could see the respect clearly reflected in his eyes. Maybe the brawl hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

"Clean your face and once it stops bleeding elevate your head to reduce throbbing pain"

She gazed around until she found a mop of black hair among the crowd "Monty can you try and find us something to help with any residual pain? I think I saw turmeric when we were walking. Wells can take you there"

The boys easily agreed and instantly left the camp to comply with her request. Monty was babbling excitingly about all the plants they may find while Wells smile indulgently at his child-like behavior.

* * *

 **4 chapters in 1 day, I'm on a roll people!**


	12. Where do your loyalties lie?

**Hi! I know it's been a really long time, I will try to not make excuses but honestly, RL has been kicking my life lately.**

 **In the last few months I...**

 *** Lost my job (thank you fucking Covid!).**

 *** Broke up with my boyfriend (no resentment there, honestly it was long overdue).**

 *** Unofficially became my niece's guardian (In all but papers I am her mom).**

 *** Had to move to my parent's house again (which brings a whole other set of problems).**

 **All in all, I lost any will to write (and sometimes to live, to be honest) but I decided to stop wallowing in self-pity and just do the best I could with the cards I've been dealt with instead of trying to change them.**

 **I'm trying to get my life back in shape, so far it seems to be going decently well :)**

 **Thank you for your support and patience. The reviews help me smile on days that I didn't even want to move from the bed.**

\- xxx -

Clarke was struggling to properly walk so Octavia took it upon herself to help her; mindful of the blonde's injuries she carefully grabbed her right arm and put it around her neck while gesturing for Murphy to do the same. Completely disregarding Bellamy's loud objections and indignant splutters the brunette guided them back to their previously established camp.

"Murphy can you get us some wood, please?". Clarke expected John to grumble about the task and mentally prepared a speech to convince him, instead, surprising the hell out of her, he swiftly got up, mockingly saluted her, and without saying a word proceed to leave.

"Finn, we will also need dry leaves. Can you take care of that?. I would do it myself but…" She pointed to her bruising face to emphasize her point.

"Octavia can surely do it. I think I should stay with you"

In the past, she would have considered him charming for offering to take care of her but now the blonde just wanted to shake him until he understood that no amount of flirting was going to change her mind.

Quickly getting rid of her annoyance Clarke forced herself to remain impassive, their situation was precarious at best and she couldn't afford to make anyone angry, especially not someone with an unpredictable and volatile temper like his.

"Thanks for the offer, it's very generous of you to care for my well-being but it's not really necessary. When the boys come back with some turmeric I will be fine, besides…" she tried to make herself sound grateful but if Octavia's snickering was any indication she was definitely failing.

"What if Bellamy wants to have another round?" Octavia couldn't help but snort in amusement at the absurdity of the question.

Objectively the brunette could understand his infatuation, Clarke was beautiful and her take-charge attitude coupled with a friendly yet at the same time closed-off demeanor was certainly alluring but the way Finn acted around Clarke was getting embarrassing, even painful, to watch.

"My brother ended up worse than Clarke". Her matter of fact tone left no room for argument.

Finn's crushed expression made her regret her words a little, who was she to interfere with his chivalry attempts?. No matter how unwanted they seemed to be.

Maybe Clarke was playing hard to get, she heard once that some girls liked to do that or maybe she just didn't like him and was trying to let him down without outright telling him. Who was she to judge anyone's behavior?. She had never even kissed someone before, not that living almost all her life under the floor left many opportunities to socialize let alone kiss other people.

Thinking about her life before been sent to earth made a deep-rooted melancholy rear it's ugly head, sometimes she hated Aurora for condemning her to a hidden existence while other times she couldn't help but admire her mother for giving her the chance to live, even knowing the fate that awaited her for defying the Ark's rules.

Trying to get rid of the unwanted and ultimately useless thoughts that plagued her head she forced herself to think about other things. Unsurprisingly the first thing that came to mind was her brother.

The love she has for Bellamy surpass anything she has ever known; to her he is the most important person in the whole world, he has taken care of her since she took her first breath and after their mother was floated he became the only one who could cheer her up and made her forget her miserable existence.

His radiantly smiling face was the first thing she saw in the morning and his comforting words and even warmer hugs, the last thing she felt every night before closing her eyes.  
Octavia knew that Bellamy had to trade many favors to have those hours with her, for as far as she knew from talking to other prisoners in their daily time out, visiting hours were much shorter than what he was allowed. She asked him once about it, his handsome face turned into such an ugly sneer, devoid of the warm she was used to, that she didn't dare ask again. Some things are best left unasked; the answers perhaps too unpleasant to be shared.

But even if he was like a God to her, larger than life itself, she knew he was far from perfect, and sometimes needed to be put in place. The brunette didn't begrudge Clarke for stepping up to him and defending herself; in fact, she respected her even more for it.

"Well, yes, but…" The boy scratched his neck in uncertainty, trying to come up with a valid excuse to stay. Clarke Griffin was far from the spoilt princess he previously thought her to be and he was smitten.

"We will be fine Finn, really, you don't need to worry"

"I…" He tried, once again, to come up with an argument to persuade her but Clarke cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"It's critical that we get those leaves, without them we might freeze at night and we won't be able to roast the deer" At her words, he puffed up his chest, proud to be relied on for something so important.

Disregarding all previous interactions that pointed to the contrary he assumed that Clarke was into him but didn't want to make it obvious for Octavia's sake, as he had overheard the girl stating that "he was hers". It would be an uphill battle but he had set his heart on Clarke and he did not plan to give up easily.

He was so engrossed in his little fantasy world that he never saw that when he finally left the blonde sighed in relief.

"Not a word Octavia" She tried to sound menacing but the smile on her face completely belittled the intended effect.

The girl laughed unabashedly but mimicked zipping her lips; amusement was clearly shinning in her eyes. Clarke consoled herself thinking that at least her friendship with the brunette started with the right foot.

"Do you know how to sew?". Confused but intrigued by the non sequitur question Octavia only nodded as an answer.

"Excellent!. There is no way we can all sleep inside the dropship so I was thinking we could use the parachutes to make a tent, maybe two if there is enough fabric. Would that be possible?"

Working along with her mother as a seamstress had been one of the only things that kept her relatively sane in the Ark and the prospect of putting her hard work acquired skills to use brought her immense joy.

Beaming at Clarke's idea Octavia immediately started to think about how to make it a reality. The thread was going to be relatively easy; loose wire would work just fine, making a needle was going to be trickier but not impossible.

When the brunette came back from her supply run she found Clarke chewing some weird looking root, turmeric she assumed while listening to Monty describe the assortment of useful plants he had gathered in their impromptu expedition.

Wells asked the brunet about the wire and metal pieces she was holding, she explained Clarke's genius idea and he immediately volunteered to help.

"Can you sharpen some wood? We will need stakes to hold our tent"

The boy smiled at Octavia's suggestion, thankful to feel useful. He knew nothing of sewing, he would have tried if she asked but he had the feeling he would have only made a mess and delay her.

Clarke murmured something at Monty and when he left proceed to carry the buck closer to her and started to skin it. She grimaced a little at her lack of skill but they needed to eat and she was sure the others wouldn't complain about the mess she was making.

Octavia interrupted her concentration "How do you know so much about this?"

"Huh?" Not very eloquent of her but she was more worried about not chopping off her fingers than keeping a conversation.

"When we landed you immediately knew what to do. You organized a hunting trip, made us get water, solved our sleeping arrangements and now you are preparing the meat"

"I used to watch a lot of documentaries about the old world. Some people used to go camping for fun, can you believe that?. I always dreamed of doing the same, it was foolish to think like that in the ark but I'm glad I kept watching"

"Yeah, it definitely is. Look at the bright side this might not be exactly how you planned it but you are sort of living your dream"

"I am, aren't I?" A big smile appeared in her face, it had been a lie hastily spun to satisfy Octavia's curiosity but her words were true, she was living her dreams of being reunited with Lexa.

Murphy was walking back from the woods when he saw Mbge writing in the side of the ship and Connor egging him on while lazily toying with a piece of wood in his hand.

"First Son, First to Dye" he read out loud "You spelled die wrong, genius," Murphy said smirking, he just couldn't resist making fun of them, besides if they were stupid enough to attack him he could take them, two against one wasn't fair… for them.

"Fucking traitor" Connor spat at his feet but Murphy didn't take the bait, he simply rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Please enlighten me, who am I betraying?" Now he was more amused than anything. How dare they, of all people, preach to him about loyalty?.

"You could be a free man but you take her orders"

"Are you getting any sexual favors at least?" Connor asked crudely while suggestively waggling his eyebrows. "I wouldn't mind tapping that"

"Yes, she might be one of them but she is hot" Mbege practically spitted the word _them_ like it was poison burning his tongue. "Maybe I could fuck the entitlement out of her"

"Entitlement is a big boy word Johnny, did you think of it yourself or did Bellamy spell it out for you?"

"Fuck you Murphy!"

"It was nice catching up with you boys but I have to go now" He move to carry his load of wood when Connor blocked him.

"Whose side are you on?"

"The side of not getting killed Connor. For future reference, that's the side I'm always on".

"The man I knew would have never put up with being someone's mule or hang out with mini-Jaha"

"Junior is fine, a little naïve maybe but pretty decent" Murphy shrugged "It's not his fault his father is an asshole" He turned to look at Mbege.

"Should I worry about you turning out like your father?"

"Fucking piece of shit, I…"

"What is he talking about?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Connor," Murphy said dismissively, it was between John and him. He might not like the dude much but as far as Murphy was concerned cellmate confessions were sacred.

"What the fuck happened to you, Murphy? It's like landing here has turned you in a completely different person"

"Listen cause I'm not going to repeat myself. My only goal is making sure John Murphy survives this fucked up shit those fuckers in the council sent us to and the way I see it I have 3 choices"

He lifted one finger to emphasize his point "One I do nothing but waste my time like almost everyone seems to be keen on doing. That's fucking stupid; they won't survive for long in the wilderness".

"Two I stay with you and the fuckboy who got his ass kicked, not really appealing either. He might have promised freedom and a new beginning" the mocking tone at those words was easily discernible "but the only thing he is doing is sleeping around with whoever catches his fancy while trying to bully people to do his bidding".

"And last but not least, option three. I just do what blondie says. Thanks to her I already have water and food… ohh I also got a cool spear and this shiny knife" He proudly presented his makeshift weapon, the implied threat was not lost on either boy.

Clarke made a circle of rocks, set up the wood, and put in a few dead leaves. Grabbing the two rocks she had picked up earlier she leaned over the tent of sticks and strikes them against each other like they had been shown in class.

After a few futile attempts, she let out an exasperated sigh. Pike had made it look so simple, just a few strikes and it would be enough, but then again he didn't know what he was talking about, not really, he had study old world manuals and watched documentaries but he didn't have practical experience. None of them had. Oxygen in the Ark had always been an issue and so even the practical lessons had been done with stones that would not ignite.

Frustrated she threw the rocks to the ground and was about to tell the others that they need to find another way to ignite the fire when the newest addition to their little group of misfits took the stones in her hands.

"Can I try?" she asked shyly

The older blonde regarded Charlotte with an encouraging smile "please, maybe you will have more luck than me".

When Monty arrived with the turmeric she asked him to look for Charlotte and invite her to join them. The boy smiled at her thoughtfulness and rapidly agreed that she was far too young to be left alone in an unknown environment.

To everyone's surprise, after half a dozen tries, sparks began to fly and smoke came from the fire pit. After a few more a small fire ignited. Charlotte let out a victorious shout and everyone cheered and clapped while congratulating her.

Realizing everyone was distracted Clarke took a moment to observe them.

Murphy had taken it upon himself to cut pieces of the meat and distribute it among those sitting around the fire; he was humming while doing it and while he wasn't smiling he appeared content and more relaxed than she had ever seen him before. In that moment Clarke realized that they had never given him the opportunity to be more than a bully and self-serving asshole, it had been a self-fulfilling prophecy really.

Wells and Octavia were loudly laughing while Charlotte watched them quietly, she made a mental note to talk to the younger blonde about her nightmares and help her cope with them in a healthier manner than Bellamy's ill place advice, he had meant well but Charlotte had been too traumatized to properly deal with her anger and in the end, instead of helping, his words had only added more gasoline to an already unstable fire. This time no one was getting stabbed or unjustly hanged on her watch.

On the other corner, Jasper and Monty were huddled together whispering about something, she didn't really trust Jasper but reluctantly accepted him into their group, aware that he and Monty were a package deal. Besides if she was giving Murphy another chance Jasper definitely deserves it too, maybe he would surprise her like John.

Finn was messily engulfing his ration while, at the same time, trying to keep his perfectly coiffed hair free from grease and dirt, she snorted in amusement at his silly predicament. He noticed her gaze and gave her a knowing smirk and a wink, Clarke quickly turned around and mentally berated herself for getting caught, the last thing she needed was for him to believe he actually stood a chance.

The sun was already setting, marking the end of the first day at the earth. Deer hunting, brawls, and possibly new allies. Overall things were looking less grim than the first time around.


	13. A trip down memory lane

"Are you here as my general or my friend?. If it's the former I will deal with whatever is troubling you later". The unusual surly tone was not lost on the blonde.

Anya wanted to roll her eyes at Lexa's penchant for the dramatics but as that gesture wouldn't be proper of a high ranking general such as herself, at least not in a room full of foreign ambassadors and advisors, the teasing would have to be reserved for later.

"What troubles our fearless Heda today?" despite the wording there was no real malice or mocking in her words, Heda or not, Lexa was first and foremost her best friend and to see the young ruler in such distress caused Anya to feel extremely uneasy. It never bodes well for her, or anyone really, when Lexa was upset.

"They are getting restless" the brunette made an encompassing gesture to point at all the ambassadors gather in little groups of two or three, whispering furiously among each other and sending the others distrustful glances.

Anya instantly knew it must be something of great importance, far beyond the typical squabbles, as Lexa rarely let herself be affected by the usual pettiness displayed in her throne room. Listening to the ambassador's stupidity comes with the job, she always says.

Well, actually " _stupidity"_ was Anya's word of choice; Lexa diplomatically calls it " _grievances"_ and the blonde always concedes with a mocking smile, even if she still prefers her less acceptable but more apt description.

Anya doesn't have a lot of patience for most members of the court, political power-plays held no interest for the fearsome General; she preferred the battlefield of swords and blood rather than words. She understands the importance of forming alliances and keeping peace among the clans but she just can't bring herself to respect those who rose to power merely relying on their, usually empty, words.

"About what?. Did Podakru try to steal Floukru's secrets about boat building, _again_?. The last word was full of disdain and barely contained disgust. She abhorred people who try to prey on those they consider weaker or inferior, a crime like that could never be forgiven by the stern general.

Thankfully while Luna might not advocate for violence she believed in been prepared. Her soldiers were some of the best trained of all the clans, a lesson that Podakru learned in a painful and really bloody way.

"Or maybe Azgeda tried to arrange another ceremony in foreign lands?.

The ice nation had the unfortunate tradition of sending their children into the wilderness, to survive alone and weaponless for a fortnight, as a rite of passage to adulthood.

She wouldn't marry an Azgeda native even if they were the last people on earth. Would those hooligans ever learn proper manners?.

"I wish it was that simple my friend". A wistful smiled showed itself in Lexa's face, oh how she wished to remain as ignorant as her friend about what was truly happening in their land.

Anya only raised an eyebrow in confusion, what could be worst or more worrying?. The last time the ice nation sent her children to Sankru lands it almost led to a war, it was only by Heda's timely intervention that such catastrophe was avoided. To the dessert people, children were a treasure and to treat one with such callousness and cruelty was unforgivable.

"A group of people fell from the sky"

"What?!" Her voice reverberated through all the throne room, making the ambassadors and advisors cease their useless chatter. Anya barely acknowledged them or their looks of disdain at the sudden interruption, she was far too worried to care about decorum.

\- xxx -

 _"Clarke"_

 _"I'm here my love"._ Clarke took the brunette hands in her own, while vainly trying to stop the massive flow of blood from her wound. She had to save her; she couldn't fail Lexa this time.

Streaks of tears smudged her once pristine makeup; her clear blue eyes were raging like a thunderstorm out of control.

 _"_ Ai gonplei ste odon _"_ The straightforward acceptance behind the words made her wail in despair, intellectually she knew Lexa had been prepared to die since the day she ascended as Heda, she had told her so, but her heart refused to let her go.

 _"No. I won't accept that"_ Always stubborn until the end she valiantly tried to fight against fate. She felt like Canute attempting to stop the ties with her bare hands.

 _"You were right life is…"_ Blobs of black blood fall from Heda's lips, sealing her inexorable fate.

 _"No, Lexa, Lexa"_

"Nooo!"

The piercing scream jolted Octavia awake, the brunette thought they were been attacked but when the fog of sleep left her she realized Clarke was trashing and crying in her dreams. Luckily everyone else seemed to be still asleep.

For a fleeting moment she idly wondered if the regular inspections of their chambers made her more susceptible to noises, holding yourself steel to try and avoid detection required to be extremely attuned to your environment, any sudden movement could mean grave danger. She instantly vanished those thoughts, it was no time for a trip to memory lane, Clarke needed her help.

She tried poking the blonde to wake her up but Clarke was fully immersed in her nightmares and didn't respond to her gentle touch.

"Octavia? Where are we? What's going on?" Her brain was trying to make sense of things, she had been with Lexa while she exhaled her final breaths and now Octavia was hugging her and there was no trace of her lover.

"You were having a nightmare, bawling your eyes out and screaming. I tried to wake you but well…"

"I… thank you"

"Are you ok?" It felt stupid to ask that but she didn't really know what else to say.

"Yes, thank you for your concern. I was dreaming about my father". Another lie piling up on top of the hundreds she had told since she woke in her alternate reality but truthfully _what could she say that didn't sound like she belongs in the psychiatric wing of the Ark?._

Clarke gave herself a second to ponder her situation; could she share with Octavia what was truly happening? How would she start explaining?. She could envision almost word by word how _that_ conversation would turn out.

"I was given a second chance to redeem myself, to try and do better, a higher power, who I share my soul with, by the way, granted me a once in a lifetime opportunity to save Lexa"

At this point, the blonde could clearly see in her mind Octavia's confused face morphing into disbelief.

"A higher power? Soul sharing? What the fuck are you talking about Clarke?".

"A few moons from now I will be known as _Wanheda_ , the commander of death"

"Yes, death. I know, I was shocked too, but she… ohh well it doesn't matter, not really, the point is I'm not completely human anymore"

"No, I'm not immortal Octavia. Just let me finish please"

"Who the fuck is Lexa?"

"Funny you ask that Lexa is the woman I'm in love with and who will decide if we get to stay on earth or if the grounders will just slaughter us in our sleep. Ohh, did I forget to mention we aren't alone on earth and the grounders aren't even the biggest threat around here?".

"Clarke I need you to answer me honestly. Did you smoke too much of Monty's weed or did you find something else around here?. I get it, it feels nice but you will lose your mind if you abuse that kind of shit"

If just thinking about a fabricated dialogue in her mind gave her an exasperating headache she didn't even want to contemplate what damage the _real_ version would do.

The blonde realized that she has grown to appreciate Octavia, even more, this time around and she suspects that the sentiment is mutual, for while they had been allies in their _first reality,_ they had never truly bonded, not the way they are doing now at least, but despite their blossoming friendship the brunette would definitely think her insane or even if for some reason Octavia miraculously believed her; what is to say that her involvement wouldn't be detrimental to execute her carefully crafted plans? What if telling her meant doing irreparable damage to an already fragile timeline?. No, she couldn't tell her the truth. She couldn't carelessly risk Lexa's life just because she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

Completely unaware of Clarke's internal monologue the brunette simply nodded solemnly and didn't press for more details. She still had nightmares about her mother and while they had become less frequent, they didn't hurt any less.

"What are you doing?" Octavia asked curiously when she watched Clarke extending her arms and legs while moving her body towards the floor. It looked like she was trying to hold her whole body up with only her arms.

The blonde counted ten more push-ups before sitting in the grass and acknowledging her friend's question.

"Exercising"

"What?"

Clarke immediately understood her perplexity. Exercising was not something that was encouraged, or even taught about, in the Ark. You didn't really need big, developed muscles to live in a space station; as a matter of fact, it was preferable that you didn't have them. Bigger muscle tissue burns more energy and thus needs more food for sustainment and that is something that the Ark council would never be able to afford for the whole population. Food had always been regulated to the extremes; everyone got the bare minimum needed to survive.

"This is called exercise. It helps to condition your body to be more resilient and makes you stronger"

"How did you learned?. I sure as hell never even heard about it"

"I…" but before she could even try to craft an acceptable lie Octavia shook her head and filled the blanks for her.

"Let me guess, you read it in one of your old world books or saw a documentary, didn't you?"

The blonde swiftly nodded, her face mirroring Octavia's smile but for completely different reasons. While the brunette thought that the line about old books and documentaries was quickly becoming their inside joke, Clarke saw it as an easy and believable lie that she could spat anytime she needed, after all without access to the Ark's library no one could dispute the veracity of her claim.

"While it makes me extremely happy that for some reason you decided to pursue a strange hobby like watching documentaries about camping in the old world, for the life of me I can't understand why would you put yourself through this torture. I honestly don't see the point and don't take this the wrong way but you look like you will keel over anytime" Clarke could hear the curiosity and the concern on the tone of her voice, the blonde just smiled at her.

"Don't worry; I'm stronger than I look. It will take more than just push-ups, planks and crunches to take me out of the game"

"I know that you beat up my brother after all"

"About that I…" Clarke rubbed her neck in uncertainty; she hopes her actions hadn't caused a rift between her and the woman who was rapidly becoming her best friend.

Octavia instantly waved away her concerns "Don't. He totally deserved it; maybe it will help him pull out his head from his ass"

"I read about it but never really tried it until I was sent to solitary confinement. Exercising not only relaxes your mind but also most of the time it made me so exhausted that I would instantly fall asleep. Trust me the scariest thing about solitary is that you have too much time to let your mind wander; sometimes I thought I was going insane"

The brunette accepted the explanation, trying to conceal the pity that was surely reflected in her face, while been imprisoned was no joke, been in solitary must have been hell. At least she had someone to talk to when things got to be a little too much, someone to complain and laugh with. As a matter of fact, since she had been sent to prison, she had a fuller social life than before. Irony at its finest some would say.

A pensive gloom twisted Clarke's features. The brunette didn't like the look on her friend's face, someone as full of life as she shouldn't look so despondent, it was unsettling.

"Do you… mmm… do you want to talk about it?. "About being in solitary, I mean"

A stifling tension settled between them, the silence wasn't unbearable but it was not comfortable either, it was just… heavy.

Clarke looked at her oddly, like she couldn't comprehend what she was saying.

"I…" words got stuck in her throat. It had been so long since she had confided in anyone. Lexa had been the only person she had ever opened up to and even then she hadn't said much.

"You don't have to if…" but the blonde had a faraway and lost look in her eyes and didn't seem to listen.

"It was well… lonely… obviously, but that wasn't the worst, I could deal with been alone; I had exercise and art supplies to distract myself and while I love my mother we don't have a close relationship, she has always been too busy with Ark businesses to properly bond with me so there was not much to miss really. I didn't care about the guards' cruelty either, sometimes I even defy them for my own amusement, no matter how much they tried they couldn't _break me_ and their frustration was worth any punishment"

Octavia didn't ask about the guards, she was intimately familiar with their special brand of cruelty. Subconsciously she rubbed her left thigh, the scars that dotted the place a permanent reminder of her first day in jail. She didn't dare to even imagine what they could have tried with someone as headstrong as Clarke.

"My worst enemy in solitary confinement was… well…me, my mind. I played up every mistake I had ever made, trying to predict if the outcome could have been different. I blamed myself for so many things, things that weren't my fault or even my responsibility but I just keep thinking that maybe I could have done something, say something to change it. It was foolish to think that way, I know, but with nothing but time in your hands your mind can become quite cruel"

Despite the circumstances that prompted the confession she was grateful that Clarke confided in her, it made her feel closer to the blonde.

From Octavia's point of view, Clarke Griffin was undeniably an intriguing person. She should have been spoiled and a bit arrogant, like all members of the upper echelons of the Ark tended to be, yet she defied all stereotypes, she marched to the beat of her own drum and didn't let anyone or anything stand in her way.

The blonde fall silent, she looked like she wanted to say more but at the same time, her confession seemed to weigh her down like she revealed too much of herself. Sensing that Clarke might bolt at any minute Octavia took it upon herself to cheer her up.

"Could you… I mean… would you… teach me how to exercise?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, we will have to learn how to fend for ourselves and there is no better way to do that than getting stronger. Honestly just looking for supplies for the tents made me exhausted, I'm not sure I have ever walked that much in my whole life". She said with a rueful grin.

Clarke chuckled at the admission but was glad Octavia realized the need to improve their physical shape if they wanted to survive. If the brunet's first reaction was any indication, it would be an uphill battle to convince everyone else.

"Do you want to start now?"

"There is no time like the present"

"We should try something easy first. Let's do this for a minute or two" She said and showed her friend how to do a plank.

Octavia could barely hold herself for a minute before she fell onto the floor, wheezing and gasping for air.

"What the fuck?!. You call this easy?. You are fucking insane Clarke Griffin!" she grumbled but dutifully started again. The blonde just smirked at her and lauded her for her determination.

"I remember the first time I tried a plank, I gave up in like 30 seconds so honestly you are faring better than I did. You have to be patient, with time and practice this will be a breeze!".

Octavia gave her an evil eye and stuck her tongue out at her; Clarke just laughed and pushed her to try doing a few push-ups.

After a couple of push-ups, the brunette finally gave up and rolled to the side, arms and legs falling limply at her side.

"Just so you know I still hate you. I would punch you but I can't move"

"It will get better, trust me"

"I do… trust you that is".

Clarke had no idea that something so simple could fill her with so much joy but Octavia's words touched her heart. To anyone listening they were simply talking about exercise but looking in her friend's eyes Clarke knew that the sentiment runs deeper, Octavia trusted her with her life and that was a gift she would never take for granted.


	14. Freedom is a chance to be better

The title should be **"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better"** but FF doesn't allow so many words.

It is a quote by Albert Camus, a French novelist, essayist, playwright, and Nobel Prize winner.

* * *

Octavia, Clarke, and Wells were resting next to their tents when they heard people shouting. At first the blonde become alarmed, did the grounders decided to show themselves? But when clapping and whistles reverberated through the almost empty fields she let herself relax, whatever it was couldn't be dangerous.

"Should we check on the others?"

Clarke smiled at the black boy, even since they were children Wells tended to put others before himself, even people who would spat on him if they had the opportunity to do so.

"It's probably a party". Octavia didn't really want to move from her spot, she was comfortable and wanted to take a nap before going to explore the woods later. She was about to protest when she caught Clarke's concerned expression.

"Fine, fine, let's check on those idiots"

Clarke heard her mumbled something like "been responsible sucks" and couldn't help but let out a belly laugh that made the other two turn to look at her.

"It sucks but someone gotta make sure they don't do anything stupid". After catching Octavia's and Well's mirroring smirks she hastily added "Well… too stupid anyway".

The first thing they saw was people around a bonfire, cheering and clapping enthusiastically. As they all came closer to it, they were able to see many bracelets melting and the crowd becoming wilder any time another one was added to the fire.

"Who's next?" Bellamy yelled to the other kids and they cheered him like he was a God, Clarke shook her head in displeasure; Bellamy was not a bad man per se but the power-trip of commandeering the delinquents definitely went over his head and made him even more arrogant than usual. He had a lot of potential and could be a formidable ally but she needed him to grow-up and start thinking about the future.

She had to stop the spectacle of wristband removal; their lives literally depended on it.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Clarke yelled, effectively silencing the euphoric teenagers.

Mbege moved towards the blonde and Octavia was ready to step in but Bellamy stopped him with a harsh glare. The warning in his eyes was clear, _touch my sister and it will be the last thing you do._

"We're liberating ourselves. What does it look like, princess?" he asked with a sneer on his face.

"Honestly it looks like you're trying to get ourselves killed. Our communication system is dead and these wristbands are all we've got. If you take them off the Ark is going to think the earth is still poisonous and that is not safe to come down"

"Why would we want them to come down?. We can take care of ourselves, can't we?" Bellamy said to the crowd and everyone agreed and cheered with what he said.

"Are you really that stupid?!". Clarke inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself; teenagers, fucking idiotic teenagers. She had forgotten how stupid, rebellious, and careless they all had been back at the start, ready to embrace any act of defiance towards the Ark, without measuring the consequences of doing so.

"Those aren't just our friends and our parents up there. They're our engineers, farmers, and doctors. We won't survive here on our own and besides, how could you not want the rest of our people to join us?"

"I have no one up there, my people are already down here with me. The Ark locked us up; they killed my mother for the crime of having a second child. Why would I want them here?".

Clarke decided to ignore him for the time been and instead spoke to the crowd "How many of you here have parents or someone you care about up there? Raise your hand." She said firmly and almost all of the delinquents raised their hands.

"Well to all you, congratulations!. Every time you take off a wristband you are signing their death sentence".

The cheering stopped abruptly; confusion, shock, and fear-filled the faces of all the people present.

"Don't listen to her!. She is just trying to scare you all in compliance!. Of course, she wants the Ark to come down; she is one of the privileged. If they come down, she will have it good. How many of you can say the same?" Bellamy made a dramatic pause and let his words linger. No one could ever accuse him of not knowing how to keep his audience enraptured with his words.

"We can take care of ourselves!. Those bracelets mean they still control us so take them off!. We are not their prisoners anymore!"

"Haven't any of you wondered why they send us down after 97 years? What changed for the council to make such an extreme decision?"

Finally, Monroe took the bait and tried to answer Clarke's question "Who cares? I am just glad they did. We were rotting in a cell, counting the days to see if they would pardon us or not, and now we are free to roam in the forest or to swim on a lake while they are trapped in a metal box"

"They were never going to pardon you Zoe or anyone else for that matter"

Clarke's conviction made everyone do a double-take; her words had such a harsh finality to them that sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"Why would you say that? We are all under 18, we still had a chance!" It was Harper this time; her disbelieving face was mirrored in all the other delinquents. They might have embraced Bellamy's rebellion to spite the Ark but deep-down they wanted to believe that had they stayed they would have been pardoned. Been in the earth had been an amazing adventure so far, full of wonder and awe, but even if they didn't voice it out loud they missed the Ark; the security, the structure, their friends and family, it's all they had known their whole life.

"The never planned to pardon any of us because the Ark is dying. The Council is desperate, the air filtering system is failing and resources are almost nonexistent".

Now the crowd was whispering, wary of the ominous truth her revelation held. Clarke pressed on, knowing that they needed to know exactly what was happening, she needed to get their support and she needed it fast. They had to be a cohesive team if they wanted any chance to survive when grounders made themselves known.

She hadn't seen any grounders yet but the blonde knew Lexa had to be already aware of their presence in her lands and was just bidding her time to ascertain if they were enemies she needed to wipe out or if they could be useful allies.

"With the current population level, there are roughly 3 months left of life support, maybe four if they are lucky"

"How do you know that princess?" Just like the last time, it was Finn who asked the question, suspiciousness and disbelief tainted his words.

"My father is the engineer who discovered the flaw. The council floated him because he wanted to announce it publicly. He believed everyone had the right to know".

She let the words sink in before continuing "I accidentally overheard a conversation between my parents and wanted to help my father spread the message. My mother asked me to keep quiet and thought that her warning would be enough but the council deemed my presence as undesirable and high-risk so they imprisoned me in solitary". The bitterness in her voice was not missed by her captive audience.

"The council considered us expendable and abandoned us to our luck because even if we all perished; at least they brought themselves time".

She was on a roll and wouldn't stop until she got her point across. "So you see, every time you take that wristband, you're killing one of them. If the council believes the earth is poisonous they won't try to come down and if you stop them from doing that, you are the ones signing everyone's death sentence". A brief flick of hurt appeared in her eyes but she vanishes it instantly, this was not the time to deal with her memories of Abby and all the pain and sorrow attached to it.

"Sending us down here bought them time to find a solution but when that time is up, who do you think will be the first ones to be considered expendable? The council and high-ranking members or the working people? Your people?.

"If adults come they will try to impose their rules and we will be under their thumbs again." Bellamy realized Clarke's speech had convinced almost everyone and while he believed what she said he simply couldn't allow the Ark to come down. Reminding them of the council's cruelty seemed like a cheap shot but after what he had done to Jaha they would definitely execute him, no questions asked.

"We can be better than the adults. They think you as useless delinquents, show them you can be more than what they think you are or can be. We all have a story of loss and pain but together we can have a better future; a future where a father doesn't have to be killed for stealing an extra ration for his daughter, where a mother can get medicine for her sick son without fearing for her life while doing so. We can have a brighter future with families full of children's laughter and joy. Their future, our future, is on our hands and we need to rise to the challenge"

Everyone cheered for her and instantly agreed with what she was saying. When the deafening clapping finally subdue Clarke kept on speaking.

"If they don't pardon us like they promised, all of us regardless of our crime, then we will simply leave. I know you fear been subjugated by the Ark council if they came down but we don't have to live by their rules, the earth is certainly big enough for everyone but first, we need to save them, we need to give them a chance."

The blonde could see she was swaying them but she added a parting shot that all but guaranteed their favor.

"If you take your wristbands off, can you live knowing you are the reason your parents and your friends suffocated when you could have done something?".

After saying her piece she turned around and escorted her friends back to their tents as everyone watched them walk away.

\- xxx -

Behind some tall bushes Tris attentively watched the camp; she had barely slept since the metal box fall from the sky but a quick sniff of the leather pouch hanging from her neck left her invigorated enough to resume her surveillance. She reminded herself to thank Teok, her tribe healer, for giving it to her before her assignment.

Her mentor had given her the task of keeping an eye on the intruders and the young woman was committed to doing it to the best of her abilities, if that meant surviving a few days with little sleep and meager rations of food and water, so be it. Tris was determined to not disappoint Anya, having been personally chosen as a second by the impressive General had been a great honor and she would do everything in her power to ensure Anya never regretted her decision.

Many other young warriors in her platoon had taunted her for getting such a dull and useless assignment, why not just attack and kill the intruders? They didn't have weapons and seemed more preoccupied with fighting among each other than keeping an eye on possible threats but their derisive sneers and mocking had not deterred the young woman in the slightest, as a matter of fact, it seemed to fuel her, even more, to be as diligent as possible.

Tris had always been able to see the bigger picture, something her mentor had always praised her for, while for the others it might seem a way of time to devote time watching such a reduced group of people, she knew it was essential to familiarize oneself with a possible enemy before striking; they might have hidden abilities or technology that could prove fatal if ignored. The Maunon were irrefutable proof of that statement, the people in the mountains would have easily perished if engaged in one-on-one battles but their advanced technology allows them to create havoc and easily spread fear among the tribes without ever leaving the safe confinement of their bunker.

The first days she had been really careful to not alert them of her presence but quickly realized there was no real need to cover her tracks, no matter how close she got to them they never sensed her presence or even notice she had been there. At first, she had been wary of their carelessness, thinking it was a façade to make her falsely believe she was safe but as the days progressed she realized that they weren't pretending, they simply behaved like goufa instead of the young adults they seemed to be. They focused very little on their survival; instead, they spent all their time dancing around the fire, fighting among each other, and having sex without other care in the world.


End file.
